Lexington and north-central Kentucky Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in !

Find a local pick your own farm here!

Strawberry U-Pick Orchards in Lexington and north-central Kentucky in 2024, by county

Below are the U-Pick orchards and farms for strawberries that we know of in this area.

Not all areas of a state have strawberries farms that are open to the public. If you know of any others, please tell us using the add a farm form!

Remember to always check with the farm's own website or Facebook page before you go - or call or email them if they don't have a website or Facebook page. Conditions at the farms and crops can change literally overnight, so if you want to avoid a wasted trip out there - check with the farm directly before you go! If I cannot reach them, I DON'T GO!

PLEASE report closed farms, broken links and incorrect info using the "Report Corrections" form below.

New! As inflation remains high, see this page for reliable (tested) brands of generic canning lids at lower costs, and cost-saving measures for getting fruit and vegetables and home canning.
If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

New! Road tripping and camping is a great way to have a fun, safe and inexpensive family trip. The national and state parks and monuments are open, and campgrounds usually cost between $10 and $40 per night. September to November is the best camping weather. See our new website Road Tripping and Camping.com for tips, tricks, guides, checklists and info about parks, monuments and other places to visit.

New! We just went live with our latest website, FunFactoryTours.com - As they name implies, you can find a fun factory tour, including chocolate, automobiles, historical forts and sites, famous buildings, Active Federal facilities even fun geology: like fossils and volcanic areas

Bourbon County

Stepping Stone Farm - Strawberries, Blueberries, Apples, Sunflowers, U- Pumpkins, Indian corn, gourds.
1674 Cynthiana Rd, Paris, KY 40361. Phone: 859-588-3286. Email: steppingstonefarm2@gmail.com. Open: for the season at the end of April. Click here for a map and directions. U-Pick Strawberries in May, Blueberries in July, Apples and Pumpkins in September and OCtober, Plus Tomatoes in Greenhouse and Sunflowers in July. pick apples (including Gala, McIntosh, Cortland, Mutsu, Stayman Winesap, York, Granny Smith, Fuji, and many more),(formerly Reed Valley Orchard) (ADDED: May 6, 2022)

Garrard County

Day Farms - strawberries, U-pick and already picked
11414 Richmond Road, Paint Lick, KY 40461. Phone: (859) 314-2091. Email: daysonthefarm@gmail.com. Open: Typical picking season is May 10 through June 15, weather permitting; hours are Monday to Wednesday from 10 am to 3 pm; Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 7 pm; Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm; of course, hours May vary based on inventory and weather, please check Facebook for daily availability and hours; You - pick and We - pick available. Directions: Located on Highway 52, sharing the same driveway as Paint Lick Dollar General Store. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, PayPal, Venmo. . Alternate Phone: (859) 779-0231 . Strawberry picking season is typically May 10 to June 15(ADDED: May 03, 2022)

Grant County

Red Barn Farm - strawberries,
1305 Knoxville Road, Dry Ridge, KY 41035. Phone: 859-391-4433. Email: krvegie@yahoo.com. Open: Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 8 pm; Sunday 1 pm to 8 pm. Directions: From north of Dry Ridge. South on I-75, exit 159, left off ramp, left at light at Walmart entrance onto Dry Ridge Bypass, left at 3rd light $KY. 467$, 1.1 miles to red barn on right. Drive behind barn, park behind greenhouse on right. From south of Dry Ridge. North on I-75, exit 156, right off ramp onto Barnes Road, left at train crossing, right at 4 way intersection $KY 467$, 1.1 miles to red barn on right. Drive behind barn, park behind greenhouse on right. For a map to our farm, . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check. From north of Dry Ridge. South on I-75, exit 159, left off ramp, left at light at Walmart entrance onto Dry Ridge Bypass, left at 3rd light (KY. 467), 1.1 miles to red barn on right. Drive behind barn, park behind greenhouse on right. From south of Dry Ridge. North on I-75, exit 156, right off ramp onto Barnes Road, left at train crossing, right at 4 way intersection (KY 467), 1.1 miles to red barn on right. Drive behind barn, park behind greenhouse on right. For a map to our farm, Strawberries: third week of May to Mid June(UPDATED: May 18, 2016) (UPDATED: May 04, 2016) (UPDATED: July 19, 2014, JBS

Madison County

Marcum Farms - U-pick strawberries
166 College Hill Road, Waco, KY 40385. Phone: 859-369-7300. Open: Daily, Monday through Sunday from 7am to 9pm. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, only. See their website for directionsLocal grower of Strawberries, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Pumpkins and more! We participate in the Madison County Farmers Market as well as direct from farm sales. Wholesale and retail available. Always Fresh! (UPDATED: May 23, 2015, JBS) A visitor writes on July 14, 2013: "I love these people. One of the best owner.operators that I have bought from. We make a point to find her at the farmers market, and if we need something in bulk we can always go to the farm. Her strawberries are legendary in this area. No idea why she is not on your site. "

Scott County

Evans Orchard and Cider Mill - apples, strawberries, blueberries, flowers, pears, pumpkins, U-pick and already picked, farm market, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours, events at your location (call for info)
180 Stone Road, Georgetown, KY 40324. Phone: 502-863-2255. Email: info@evansorchard.com. Open: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30am to 6 pm, Sundays from 12 pm to 6 pm; If you are coming out for a particular variety, please call ahead to see if they are ripe. Directions: From Lexington: Take Newtown Pike $922$ North eight miles from the I-75 overpass. Take a right on Stone Road. Evans Orchard is the third drive on the left $approximately 1,000 feet$. From Georgetown or I-75 North: take Exit 126 and turn right off of exit. Go to US 460 and turn Left going East on US 460. Travel 3 miles and turn right onto Newtown Pike $Route 922$ at the caution lights. Go one mile and turn Left onto Stone Road Evans Orchard is the third drive on the left. . Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. From Lexington: Take Newtown Pike (922) North eight miles from the I-75 overpass. Take a right on Stone Road. Evans Orchard is the third drive on the left (approximately 1,000 feet). From Georgetown or I-75 North: take Exit 126 and turn right off of exit. Go to US 460 and turn Left going East on US 460. Travel 3 miles and turn right onto Newtown Pike (Route 922) at the caution lights. Go one mile and turn Left onto Stone Road Evans Orchard is the third drive on the left Pick-Your-Own Apples, Pears, Strawberries and Blueberries. At Evans Orchard, we grow over 20 different varieties of gourmet apples along with several varieties of delicious pears and blueberries. Fresh vegetables all spring and summer, peaches, apples and pumpkins in the fall, Bushels of Family Fun all year long in our playland and petting zoo! Festivals include: Sweet Corn Festival third Saturday in July, Apple picking usually starts second weekend in September and Harvest Festival beginning the third weekend in September and continuing through the end of October. Come explore all we have to offer at Evans Orchard!. (UPDATED: June 28, 2012, by a visitor)

Strawberry

Strawberry Picking Tips, Recipes and Information

In the U.S. strawberries typically peak during April in Florida and Texas, May in the deep South, and in early June in middle sections and later June in the far North and Canada. Keep in mind that crops are ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local strawberries, producers depend on ideal spring weather conditions.

Before you leave to go to the farm:

Always call before you go to the farm - strawberries are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for strawberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers.

If you use your own containers, remember that heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers. I like the Glad storage containers like the one at right.
Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.

Tips on How to Pick Strawberries

Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.
Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.
Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

close-up of the rows in a strawberry patch at at PYO strawberry field Whether you pick strawberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
To help the farmers, also remove from the plants berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and place them between the rows behind you. If they are left in the plants, the rot will quickly spread to other berries.
Berries to be used immediately may be picked any time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
For interesting and fun strawberry facts and trivia from the California Strawberry Commission, click here!

When you get home

DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up! (Unless you're going to make jam right away) See this page about how to freeze strawberries.
If you like the strawberries you picked, ask the farm what variety they planted, and not the weather conditions the week or two before. The flavor of a strawberry is affected by the variety, the weather and the degree of ripeness when picked.
Now, get ready to make strawberry jam. It is VERY easy - especially with our free strawberry jam instructions - they're illustrated and easy.

Strawberry Recipes, Canning and Freezing Strawberries

How to freeze strawberries!
Strawberry jam (with pectin) (uses less sugar or honey and less cooking)
Strawberry jam (without pectin) (requires much more sugar and cooking)
Strawberry (and other berry) jams without sugar
Strawberry jelly
S trawberry-rhubarb jam!
Homemade strawberry ice cream (regular, low fat, nonfat, low sugar, vanilla and even gelato)
Canning strawberries
Make gourmet chocolate-covered strawberries
How to make fruit juice - strawberry and other berries
Strawberry pie filling
Strawberry pie
Easy Rhubarb-Strawberry pie
Fig-strawberry jam
Fig-strawberry jam, made with Jello gelatin

Strawberry Facts, Measurements and Tips

Picking the best strawberries: Select firm, fully red berries. Strawberries DO NOT continue ripen after they are picked! In the photo, only the berry on the far right is completely ripe.
Strawberry festivals: Most areas that grow strawberries have a strawberry festival, at which you can taste all kinds of fresh strawberry foods, pies, jams, cakes - and most commonly, fresh strawberry shortcake. To find out where and when there is one near you, see this page for a list of strawberry festivals, sorted by state!
Strawberries measurements: government agriculture websites tell us that
1 quart = 2 pints = 4 cups and is about the same as 1 liter and
1 quart of fresh strawberries weighs 1 lbs to 1.25 lbs (or 450 to 600 g). Of course, the weight varies on variety and weather conditions.
1 quart is normally enough for 4 servings, although I'll admit my son can eat 1 pint by himself!
How much to pick? In general, 1 quart of fresh, whole, just-picked strawberries = approximately 3.5 cups hulled, whole berries. In other words, removing the caps/hulls and the occasional mushy berry means you lose 1/4 cup to 1/2 (it depends how much fruit you remove with the hull) or about 7 to 12% of every quart you pick.
One cup of strawberries contains only about 50 calories
U-pick strawberries are much healthier than store-bought. Consumer reports says store bought strawberries have so many pesticide and fungicide residues on they, that they don't recommend you eat them at all!
U-pick strawberry farms typically sell berries by the pound. 1 lbs of fresh strawberries is about 2/3 of a quart.
It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to pick a quart, if the berries are reasonably plentiful
The strawberry plant adapts to wide variety of soil conditions, but does not tolerate drought well, and the berries quickly rot if the weather is rainy. For this reason, the plants are usually grown on raised beds through plastic mulch!
Cultivation of strawberries began in Europe in the 1300's, but the berry only became very popular in the early 1900's in California.
Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as strawberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
You can easily freeze berries that you cannot use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
Want to grow your own strawberries? Here's an article about how to: Strawberries are an Excellent Fruit for the Home Garden, HYG-1424-98!
See this page for many more fun and interesting strawberry facts, nutritional information and trivia

Other weird strawberry facts

Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
Strawberries were originally called strewberries because the fruit was 'strewn' amongst the leaves of the plant.
California is king of strawberry productions because: California produces 75 percent of the nation's strawberry crops; one billion pounds of strawberries each year. If all the strawberries produced in California in one year were laid berry to berry, they would go around the world 15 times. Each acre of land in California in strawberry production produces an average of 21 tons of strawberries annually, with a total of 23,000 acres of strawberries planted in California each year.

More conversions

1 pint (2 cups) of fresh whole strawberries

= about 8 oz (1/2 lb) of strawberries
= 2.25 cups of sliced strawberries
= 1 cup pureed strawberries
= 12-14 large strawberries

2 quarts of fresh strawberries are needed for a 9" pie

A 10 oz package of frozen berries is about the same as 1 cup of sliced fresh strawberries

2024 Lexington and north-central Kentucky Strawberry U-Pick Farms and Orchards - PickYourOwn.org

Find a pick-your-own farm near you! Then learn to can and freeze! Since 2002! We update continuously; Beware the copycat websites!